Rubber plasticizer



Patented July 16, 193$ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RUBBER PLASTICIZERJulius Hyman, Chicago, 111., assignor to Velsicol (lliiill'ptgation,Chicago, -Ill., a corporation of No Drawing. Application May 14, 1934,Serial No. 725,658

4 Claims. (Cl. 106-23) This invention relates to the plasticizlng ofmaterials as herein mentioned. The purpose of rubber and rubber-likemasses, and more particuthis polymerization treatment is to remove fromlarly to the use of certain polymerized petroleum the gasolineunsuitable compounds which might derivatives in bringing about thisresult. later act detrimentally on the finished'motor fuel.

5 Innumerable industrial uses have been found High pressurepolymerization is well known in 5 for rubber and rubber-like masses,such as guttarefinery practice and prior art patents and it is perchaand polymerized chloroprene. In general, unnecessary to describe it infurther detail for the however, the crude and/or reclaimed rubber ispurpose of this specification. mixed intimately with certain agentswhich ac- The polymerized product resulting from the centuate certaindesirable properties for the use pressure polymerization of vapor phasecracked 10 the rubber is intended. Among such mixing gasoline is thepreferred plasticizer since it has a agents are plasticizers, which maylend fiexibilrelatively high plasticizing power due to its relaity,tackiness, easier workability and/or other tively high iodine number. Inmy researchIhave valuable characteristics to the rubber mixture. foundthat increase in plasticizing power is cor- I have found that, anexcellent plasticizer for related broadly to the increase in iodinenumber 15 rubber, rubber mixtures and rubber-like masses of the pressurepolymer of the present invention. is a polymerized essentiallyhydrocarbon product In its preparation, the polymer is generally a sfrom the high pressure Polymerization of separated from theunpolymerized gasoline by cracked gasolines, preferably in the presenceof a flashing or distillation. It may have a high iodine contact mass,such as diatomaceous earth. When number, depending on th t rati n of the20 thi polymerization is carried on at between original crackedgasoline. Despite this, however, 450 F. and 750 F., a polym r zedproduct is the tendency of the polymers toward film formatained whichmills readily with rubber to form an on through oxidation is 1 Thepolymers are easily workable mass is more or less tacky, composed almostentirely of compounds which 5 depending on the ratio of rubber topolymerare viscous liquids at ordinary temperatures.

The polymerized product referred to m h One may by distillation vary theviscosity of the obtained from the high pressure polymerizationpolymersfmm thin naphthaqike liquids (com of cracked gasolines fromso-called vapor phase posed largely of gasoline) to heavy liquids whichprocesses liquid phase prhcesses or hqlhh'vapor barely flow at ordinaryroom temperatures. The processes To explau} briefly whatls'mehntpolymers in thin films are found to be reddish- 30 by hlgh presshreholymenzatlon' the followmg yellow or brownish-yellow in color, somewhatlike examples are glven' the color of retort pine tar. The body ofreduced Gasoline or distillate containing a relatively large proportionof fractions of gasoline boiling pressure polymers 15 also rennmscent ofpme and they are used similarly to pine tar in rubber$555353ttiiiioiittiiitiittth titiiifii compoundmgrs, however, a prisediatomaceous earth mums; earth clay sensibly neutral bodies possessingcharacteristic tivated carbon or the like. The gasoline ordish h h odorsand Showmg excephohal Plastillate is heated to. a temperature at whichit tlclzmg h Frorh 116% to 25% polymers may 40 would normally vaporize,and suflicient super ath used m compohhdlhgi the percehthges refer 40mospheric pressure is maintained on the gasoline nhg to the total sohdschhteht of h or distillate during the polymerization step to Pressurepolymers such as herein described are prevent substantial vaporization.Thus, for inhshhghshed h vhnous types of petroleum stance, thetemperature may range from 450 F. h Sludge 011s q asphalts and Plackfuel to 750 F., more or less, the pressure at these tem- P m that thePolymers Possess relatlvely h peratures depending on the vapor pressureof the Iodine numbers (between 100 and 200 y the W JS gasoline beingtreated at the selected tempem method) and do not tend to blacken themixtures ture. The polymerization may be accomplished in which they areincorporated Pressure p lyby passing th gasgline t t t t t mers such asherein described difier from other tionary bed of the contact mass, orthe contact Petroleum p y and heavy Petroleum s in 60 material may bedispersed in the gasoline to be t they are Composed almost e y 01'00mtreated. A certain amount of polymerization will pounds which areviscous, sticky liquids at ordioccur even in the absence of contactmaterial at nary room temperatures. these temperatures, but thepolymerization is The viscosity of the viscous, sticky polymer renotablyincreased in the presence 0! such contact ferred to Saybolt Universal.at 210 F. may vary 55 450 and 750 F. of cracked gasolines, and rubberor a rubber-like mass.

3. A mixture comprising to 25% of a viscous, sticky liquid polymer ofreddish-yellow or brownish-yellow color derived from the high pressureliquid phase polymerization at temperatures between 450 F., and 750F'.of cracked gasolines, and rubber or a rubber-like mass.

4. A mixture comprising to 25% of a viscous,-sticky-liquid polymerhaving an iodine number between 100 and 200 derived from the highpressure liquid phase polymerization of cracked gasolines, and rubber ora rubber-like mass.

' JULIUS HYMAN.

